


Keima

by aiwritingfic



Series: Courting Isumi [2]
Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: M/M, Podfic Available
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-17
Updated: 2007-05-18
Packaged: 2017-10-29 23:39:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/325439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiwritingfic/pseuds/aiwritingfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ogata has been watching Isumi lately, and finally approaches him one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [verloren1983](https://archiveofourown.org/users/verloren1983/gifts).



The first time it happened, Isumi pondered the occurrence, but eventually dismissed it as a figment of his imagination. There was no reason for Ogata to be watching him, after all. Many people knew Ogata was interested in Sai, and suspected Shindou to be connected to Sai. Everyone watched Shindou. Surely Ogata was observing Shindou too. In any case, Isumi wasn't someone that drew attention like Shindou was. Or Waya, or Touya Akira, who seemed to be around them a lot nowadays. How conceited of Isumi to think Ogata was watching Isumi! There were plenty of people Ogata could be watching. Certainly not Isumi.

Yet the day Isumi won his _shodan_ match against Kuwabara, Ogata was waiting outside the Institute, casually leaning against his red car.

Isumi walked past that red car, Shindou and Waya beside him, the two younger pros laughing and joking about Kuwabara's face as they'd finally stopped playing. As they walked, Isumi felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle. He faltered for the briefest of moments, but didn't turn around. Something told Isumi it would have been a big mistake if he had.

***

He beat Shindou by two-and-a-half moku in the Juudan qualifiers, and Touya Akira by half a moku in the same. Isumi was relieved at the latter result; he'd lost to Touya by one-and-a-half in the Meijin preliminaries last week. China notwithstanding, he'd still felt some trepidation at facing Touya Akira so soon after the last defeat.

 _I can do this,_ Isumi thought as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. _Five more matches. Then the preliminaries begin._ The next match was against Honda in a week's time, but his record against Honda had been improving steadily.

"Congratulations."

Isumi froze. He'd been so lost in thought he hadn't realized he'd walked right past someone. As he turned and realized who it was, he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or dismayed. Ogata wouldn't consider it disrespect and would certainly recognize it for the absent-mindedness of a fellow go pro, but at the same time ... it was Ogata.

Ogata, who was standing on the passenger side of the car and opening the door.

Finally remembering his manners, Isumi bowed to the other. "I'm sorry for not greeting you, Ogata-san. I was lost in my thoughts and did not notice my surroundings. Please do not be offended," he said politely. Ogata was unlikely to be insulted, but civility should always be observed.

"Apology accepted, Isumi-kun," Ogata said. "I'd like to speak with you a while. Where are you going? Please let me give you a ride."

A ride with Ogata? Isumi had heard some cliches about the driving abilities of the owners of red cars. "Waya is waiting for me at the ramen shop on the corner," Isumi said, thinking quickly.

"Waya-kun is currently playing against Kadowaki-kun, and as they've only just begun, I doubt Kadowaki-kun will have defeated him yet," Ogata said with a touch of impatient arrogance. "Don't bother to lie if you can be proven wrong easily, Isumi-kun. Your mother or your classmates or even Sakurano would have made better alibis."

Caught in the lie, Isumi felt his cheeks heat. "Please accept my apologies. I must have gotten the day confused. I'm meeting Waya tomorrow," he muttered, not meeting Ogata's eyes as he seated himself, trying hard not to let his reluctance show.

"Better," Ogata said as he slid smoothly into the driver's seat, and Isumi knew neither of them had been fooled in the slightest. The car smelled of stale cigarette smoke and citrus air freshener. Isumi tried not to comment, but he was inordinately grateful when Ogata pressed a button and the window beside Isumi slid down a bit, letting in some cool afternoon air.

As they pulled out into traffic, Ogata spoke. "Am I to take it you have no further appointments this afternoon?"

"My mother will expect me for dinner," Isumi said quietly in defeat.

"Call her and tell her you're having dinner with a colleague," Ogata said.

Isumi paused. "Excuse me?"

"I'd like to speak with you. Please notify your mother not to expect you for dinner," Ogata repeated, clearly and slowly, as if speaking with a young child.

Isumi flushed in angry embarrassment. "It would inconvenience my mother, Ogata-san. I'm sure you could have invited me for dinner further in advance."

"I apologize for the slight inconvenience, and I promise to return her son at a suitable hour," Ogata said. "However, it is still early, and most housewives do not begin preparing the meal too early in case the food gets cold. If you don't call her now, however, she will have begun cooking, and then that will be a true inconvenience."

Unable to think of a suitable retort, Isumi closed his eyes a moment. Ogata was right, after all. There was no polite way to tell Ogata he was being pushy without sounding rude, and perhaps his mother might be able to have a quiet dinner with his father. Shifting a little, Isumi pulled out his cellphone and dialed.

His mother had not begun, and in fact, sounded delighted. When Isumi ended the call, he said, quietly, "My mother thanks you for your kindness. She'll be going to a restaurant tonight."

"There," Ogata said, but thankfully didn't follow that statement with anything else. Isumi sat quietly and looked out the window, angry with himself for being led so easily.


	2. Chapter 2

They were silent throughout the drive. The only words Ogata said to Isumi as he parked were "Do you like Japanese food?", to which Isumi nodded wordlessly. The restaurant Ogata led him to had an understated wood-paneled facade, soft lighting, and obsequious staff.

As Isumi stepped out of his shoes, he looked about for shelves to store them on. Before Isumi realized it, Ogata had taken Isumi's shoes proprietorially, putting them in the shoe locker under Ogata's shoes. "That wasn't necessary," Isumi said quietly. Even though Ogata was the older one by perhaps a little over a decade, Isumi wasn't some child to be taken care of. They were both pros in their own rights, and theoretically, equals.

Ignoring the statement, Ogata instead gestured for Isumi to precede him.

To repeat himself would be unduly creating a scene, so Isumi took a deep breath and followed the waiter, who'd been discreetly hovering beside them until then. He wordlessly slid into the far side of the little seating nook and gave the waiter a polite nod as a glass of iced water was set before him. The waiter excused himself, and Ogata picked up one of the menus the waiter had left on the table.

"Order anything you'd like. Consider it a belated congratulations for besting the old geezer," Ogata said to Isumi.

It took a few seconds for Isumi to understand who that referred to, but once he did, it was obvious in hindsight. "You don't make a secret of your dislike for Kuwabara-sensei," he said.

"Go pros of his caliber should not have to resort to parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand to hang on to their titles," Ogata said.

Even behind the shaded glasses, Isumi could see Ogata's eyes narrow and his forehead furrow. That almost sounded like concern, Isumi thought, blinking once. _I thought he hated Kuwabara-sensei. Doesn't he?_

Ogata must have seen Isumi's look of surprise, for the corners of Ogata's mouth lifted. "Contrary to what many may think, I do not wish daily for Kuwabara-sensei's speedy demise, deserved those those wishes are."

"We--" Isumi stopped and corrected himself. He wasn't going to blame others. Well, with the exception of Ogata himself. "You let others think so," Isumi said, understanding now. His mind was already working, trying to reconcile this revelation to the previous impression of Ogata he'd had, going through the kifu of Ogata's last Honinbou match against Kuwabara Isumi had memorized last night. There were even more layers of meaning in that game now that he understood those two's relationship a little better, and suddenly Isumi understood Ogata's 30th-move _keima_.

 _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,_ Isumi thought, wondering if it was true. Was that why Kuwabara watched Ogata so closely?

"You need to work on your unconscious facial expressions, Isumi-kun," Ogata said, and Isumi snapped back into the present to find Ogata giving him a considering look. "You have very expressive eyes." Isumi colored, refusing to acknowledge the statement. The light glinted off Ogata's lenses, and Isumi looked away, wishing he could see behind them. In the dim lighting it would be too difficult without being blatantly obvious about it.

As if reading Isumi's mind, Ogata removed his glasses. Isumi looked up at the soft sound of the spectacles being laid on the tabletop. The waiter came back, and Ogata ordered beer and some sushi.

Isumi ordered a non-alcoholic coffee. "He'll have beer," Ogata said to the waiter.

Isumi looked somewhat confused. Had Ogata not heard him right? "I said, coffee, please," Isumi repeated in a louder voice.

Ogata didn't miss a beat, looking over the menu once more. "Shochu, then. The plum shochu here is excellent."

"Ogata-san," Isumi said politely, yet as firmly as he could, "I do not wish to drink any alcohol. I would like plain coffee." He narrowed his eyes at Ogata. _Stop that._

"Much better, Isumi-kun," Ogata said, and turned his head towards the waiter again. "Well, you heard him. Coffee for him, then." The waiter walked away.

Isumi waited for the other to turn the corner of the corridor before turning his full attention back on Ogata. "Why did you do that?" he asked. If this was Ogata's idea of a meal, Isumi would firmly decline all future offers. Not that he'd ever intended to accept any more, he told himself.

"Backbone is a severely underrated commodity," Ogata said. He lit a cigarette, inhaling lightly.

Isumi narrowed his eyes. "It's not polite to meddle in others' business, Ogata-san," he said, watching the smoke of the cigarette slowly wend its way upwards past Ogata's eyes--which had no problems with sight, it would seem. Isumi recalled Ogata reading the menu moments ago. "Tinted plastic and nothing more," he said quietly, daring Ogata to correct him.

"Very observant," Ogata said, giving Isumi an appraising look. "You learn quickly."

Isumi thought there was something very wrong about sitting here while Ogata complimented him on his mental faculties. "Why me?" Isumi asked.

***

Unfortunately, the waiter came at that moment, setting down coffee, sushi, and beer. Ogata didn't answer the question until they were alone again. "Some people do not truly require in-depth observation. Akira, for example, who I have seen grow up from when he was knee-high. Some others, however, do."

"I see," Isumi said, not seeing, but in the position of needing to be polite. Ogata had answered, after all, and if Isumi didn't understand, perhaps some reflection would help. He tried to imagine a knee-high Touya Akira.

"No, you don't." Ogata said. smirking.

"It would be easier to understand you if you were more direct, Ogata-san," Isumi said as politely as he could under the circumstances. This wasn't a conversation. It was verbal fencing, and he needed to be constantly on guard around Ogata.

Ogata chuckled, taking another drag of his cigarette and blowing out a small cloud of smoke. He stared at it contemplatively for a few seconds before replying. "You're a smart boy, Isumi-kun."

Isumi met Ogata's challenging gaze with a rush of anger that was quickly corralled. _It's someone else,_ he reminded himself. _He isn't talking to you. He's talking to the other Isumi. Don't get angry._

Isumi could feel Ogata's eyes watching him closely. "Very good," Ogata said approvingly.

Isumi closed his eyes. There was only so much one could take, but he would NOT let Ogata see how much he was getting to Isumi. Instead, he stirred a small amount of cream and sugar into his coffee, buying him precious time to think and take control of his emotions. "I'm sure, after that approbation of Kuwabara-sensei's abilities, you wouldn't stoop to the same tactics yourself, Ogata-san."

Ogata's eyes narrowed. "I don't deal in dirty underhanded tricks," he said, narrowing his eyes. Then Ogata paused. A moment later, he began to chuckle, the lips of his mouth quirking upwards. "You learn _very_ quickly."

Isumi felt the best course of action would be silence at this point, so he sipped his coffee. Ogata drank half a mug of beer, and Isumi tried to stifle his inner worry at having to ride back with Ogata later. Even if the drive here had been uneventful, if Ogata got drunk, there mightn't be any guarantee that Isumi would reach his home safely.

"You needn't worry," Ogata said, as if reading Isumi's thoughts yet again. It was getting tiring how Ogata seemed to know exactly how Isumi was thinking, Isumi thought. Ogata nudged the plate of sushi towards Isumi, and raised his beer slightly off the table in small gesture of salutation. "Eat," he said. "Congratulations on your win over Akira."

Politeness dictated Isumi obey, so he took the nearest piece, which happened to be salmon. Ogata took another, and they ate in silence.

***

The sushi didn't last them long, but Isumi didn't want anything else and declined all offers of more. Ogata merely eyed Isumi closely before nodding and agreeing. The cigarette had long burned out, but Ogata hadn't lit another one. Isumi watched Ogata lift his spectacles and rub at his temples, then put them on and refocus. Something clicked inside his mind.

"They _are_ prescription, and you let me think they weren't," Isumi said. If he hadn't been verbally fencing all night, the revelation that he'd been lied to earlier would have surprised him more. As it was, he didn't know what to think of Ogata any more. "Why?"

"Welcome to the real world, boy. Form your own judgments and conclusions," Ogata said. He tipped his mug back, finishing his beer, and then set it down with a neutral expression. "One piece of advice, Isumi-kun. Don't expect me to confirm or deny anything for your sake. Go is a battle, Isumi-kun. It is a war of attrition, and we are constantly giving ourselves away."

"That's a very cynical view of the world, Ogata-san." It slipped out before Isumi remembered his manners, and he bit his lip.

Ogata chuckled mirthlessly. "It deserves no more and no less, Isumi-kun." He gestured at the waiter, and the bill was brought. Ogata paid it without looking.

Isumi reached for his wallet, and Ogata shook his head. "If you feel so inclined, the next one's on you," he said as they walked out and pul their shoes on again. Ogata handed Isumi his shoes and hovered beside him. Isumi wondered if Ogata had been on so many dates he'd gotten used to being the host, and steadfastly ignored Ogata's presence as he pulled his loafers on.

Standing, Isumi spoke as they walked towards Ogata's car. "You seem very confident there will be a next time."

"You're too well brought up," Ogata said, and there was a touch of humor in his voice now. "Etiquette dictates that you now owe me a dinner or a thank you card, and I can't see you being the type to dish out cards."

That stung. Isumi wondered if defending himself would be a predictable thing to do, and whether it was worth being so predictable. Ogata chuckled again at the prolonged silence from beside him, and laid an arm on Isumi's shoulder, patting lightly twice before withdrawing again.

Luckily for Isumi, Ogata's driving seemed sober enough. They didn't say any more on the drive to Isumi's house until the car pulled up before it.

"Thank you for the meal," Isumi said, unbuckling. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he could help it.

"Isumi-kun," Ogata said.

Isumi turned politely, a questioning expression on his face. Ogata was looking straight ahead through the windshield. Isumi glanced, but saw nothing, and looked back at Ogata, more curious right now than anything else. "Yes?"

"Tonight was interesting. I hope there will be a second time."

 _I don't,_ Isumi thought. Aloud, he said, "Certainly, Ogata-san."

"Don't lie until you can do so convincingly, Isumi-kun," Ogata said, turning to look at Isumi and giving him a smile. Then the door was closed, and Isumi was left staring at the retreating rear lights of Ogata's car.

**Author's Note:**

> [Podfic](http://community.livejournal.com/ihikago/17293.html) read by epigrammist!


End file.
